Method of packaging bread



Sept. 30, 1969 L? MEYERS 3,469,999

usmon 0F enema BREAD Original Filed June 29, 1964 Re 5 INVENTOR.

GEORGE L. MEYERS United States Patent 3,469,999 METHOD OF PACKAGING BREAD George L. Meyers, Menasha, Wis., assignor to American Can Company, New York, N.Y.

Original application June 29, 1964, Ser. No. 378,503, now Patent No. 3,355,303, dated Nov. 28, 1967. Divided and this application Aug. 24, 1967, Ser. No. 671,525

Int. Cl. B65b 25/18, 25/16 US. Cl. 99--173 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This application is a division of my co-pending application, Ser. No. 378,503, filed June 29, 1964.

This invention relates to an improved method and bags for packaging bread.

Plastic bags are now widely used for packaging bread have various disadvantages. Such bags are generally too loose and thus contain an excess of air which tends to stale the slices of bread, and also permit the slices to shingle thereby allowing the loaf to be easily crushed. A further disadvantage is that the copy area on the top of the loaf has large wrinkles therein, making it difficult to identify and merchandise the product. The use of shrink film has not been feasible for packaging bread because shrinking also wrinkles the top portion of the package and makes removal of the slices of bread annoyingly difficult.

It is the principal object of the present invention to overcome these difiiculties and to produce a bread package which is both attractive and practical.

Further advantages and objects of the present invention will become more readily apparent in the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a bag used in the present invention,

FIGURE 2 illustrates diagrammatically the heat shrinking step of the present invention, and

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the package of the present invention opened for removal of the contents thereof.

Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, FIG- URE 1 shows a bag 1 made from thermoplastic film. Bag 1 has opposed open and closed ends 2 and 3, rev spectively. Closed end 3 is preferably constructed so that it will have gussets 4. In one embodiment bag 1 has a hole or valve 5 placed under gusset 4. If valve 5 is so positioned, it will provide for the egress of air from bag 1 if open end 2 is closed by means of a clip, wire tie or the like. In a further embodiment of the present invention top 6 and bottom 7 of the bag are formed from non-shrinkable and shrinkable materials, respectively. Top 6 and bottom 7 are heat sealed together along seam line 8.

In accordance with the present invention only the lower part of the bag is heat shrunk, the top portion of the bag remaining in a substantially unshrunken condition. Bread packaged in this manner will be firmly held within the package and the top of the bag will be in wrinkle-free engagement with the top of the loaf to permit clear viewing of the loaf and any product identification printed on the top of said bag or placed therein. The aforesaid result can be obtained in the case of a bag formed completely from heat shrinkable material by applying heat only to the bottom portion of the bag as shown in FIG URE 2. In FIGURE 2 bag 1 contains a loaf of sliced bread 10, and the open end thereof has been closed by means of a removable fastening device 1. An inscription 12 is printed on the top portion of the bag. 'In order to shrink only the bottom portion, an upwardly directed stream of hot air is caused to impinge on the bottom of the loaf as indicated by arrows 13. A deflecting device 14 preferably prevents the hot air from shrinking the openable end of the bag. In the embodiment wherein the top portion of the bag is formed from a non-shrinkable material, any heated environment having a temperature suitable for shrinking the bottom portion of the bag will cause the bottom portion only of the bag to shrink while leaving the top in an unshrunken condition.

As seen in FIGURE 3, the slices of loaf 10 can easily be removed from the bag if end 2 is permitted to remain in the unshrunken state and thus considerably larger than the remainder of the bag.

The method of the present invention can be carried out by allowing the open end 2 to remain open for evacuation of the air during the heat shrinking step. How. ever it is preferred that a small opening be provided in closed end 3 for evacuation of the air. Such an opening can be a small slit for example on seam line 8. However it is preferred that a hole or a plurality of holes of any desired size and shape be placed under the gusset 4, thus providing a self-sealing construction. Such a valve placed under a gusset will permit the air to escape during the shrinking of the bag, until the air is substantially expelled therefrom and the 'bag is firmly drawn about the loaf. Continued heat treatment will then cause the gusset to shrink over the valve, sealing the same and thereby forming a relatively water vapor impervious package.

I claim:

1. A method of packaging a loaf of bread which comprises:

(a) placing a loaf of bread in a heat shrinkable bag having opposite open and closed ends, and a gusset formed on the bag,

(b) providing a small hole under the gusset to facilitate the escape of air from within said bag during the shrinking thereof (0) closing the open end of the bag and subsequently applying heat to the lower portion of said bag to shrink said lower portion while maintaining the top portion of said bag in substantially unshrunken condition whereby the top of the bag is drawn down into firm but substantially wrinkle-free engagement with the top of the loaf and further whereby said shrinking causes said gusset to seal said hole thereby forming a relatively air impervious package.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the film adjacent the initially open end of said bag is maintained in an unshrunken condition whereby said initially open end provides easy access for the removal of said loaf from said bag.

(References on following page) References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Rumsey 18-56 Dreyfus 5330 Weikert 5330 Allen 99-154 Vail 99171 Baird et a1. 117-7 Potter 229-3.5

4 3,182,893 5/1965 Bremkamp 229-87 3,185,579 5/1965 Dehne 99172 3,193,392 7/1965 Lundquist 99174 A. LOUIS MONACELL, Primary Examiner, 5 W. R. BOVEE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 99-172 

